Sullo stesso argomento si veda anche:
http://www.egroups.com/message/crj-mailinglist/383
OLANDESI, CANADESI E BRITANNICI ARRESTATI IN JUGOSLAVIA.
L'ACCUSA E' TERRORISMO
---
<< Dutch daily NRC-Handelsblad ["NRC-Business Paper"] of Tuesday 1
August on one of the
arrested, Godfried de Rie:
"According to the Group for Anti-Fascist Research, KAFKA,
his name, with the same initials and
place of residence, is on the list of members for
1995 of the extreme Rightist [political party] CP'86. The
[Dutch] Ministry
of Defence confirms that De Rie was a conscript Army lance
corporal, of
1989/8."
The CP'86 ["Center" Party, founded in 1986] political party
was notorious for racism, violence, and
open propaganda for Nazis like Adolf Hitler and Rudolf
Hess. In the 1990s, they sent Dutch
mercenaries to Yugoslavia, to fight in extreme Right
Croat units in Croatia and Bosnia... >>
---
L'OLANDA E' MOLTO PREOCCUPATA PER LA SORTE DEI SUOI NEONAZISTI
CATTURATI IN JUGOSLAVIA
Dutch Mull Options Over Detainees In Yugoslavia
AMSTERDAM, Aug 20, 2000 -- (Reuters) The Netherlands is considering
responses if
Yugoslavia prevents four Dutch detainees held in Belgrade from receiving
a fair trial, including
cutting off diplomatic relations, local radio reported on Saturday.
Several Dutch radio stations cited a confidential report from the Dutch
Foreign Ministry saying
that cutting diplomatic ties was one way to pressure Belgrade, which has
accused the four men of
spying for the West.
The ministry declined to elaborate on the content of the report. "The
list with ideas exists but I
don't want to say anything about the content," a spokeswoman said.
"We've had some thorough
brainstorming sessions about possible steps but this is a list of
options that serve as a basis for
further talks."
Border guards captured the four men -Godfried de Rie, Bas van Schaik,
Sander Zeitsen and
Jeroen van Iersel - last month. Expected to be tried on terrorism
charges, they have already
served a 30-day sentence for entering Yugoslavia without proper visas.
The Netherlands Foreign Ministry could expel Yugoslav diplomats from the
Netherlands and
withdraw its diplomats from Yugoslavia. It could also send a diplomatic
mission to Yugoslavia or
call for European Union support.
One of the four men was seen in a video shown in Yugoslavia saying the
four had planned to
kidnap President Slobodan Milosevic and take him to The Hague if they
met him or decapitate him
and send his head to the UN Tribunal there.
Western officials have said the four men appeared to be adventurers who
fell into the hands of
Serbian police.
-
Dutch held in Belgrade have had ``difficult time''
BELGRADE, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A Dutch diplomat on Tuesday visited four
Dutchmen held in Yugoslavia for the first time since their arrest last
month
and said they had been through a ``difficult time.''
Kees Klompenhouwer, charge d'affaires of the Dutch embassy in Belgrade,
said
the men were very pleased to have been visited by someone from their own
country.
``They have been going through a difficult time. Their present situation
is
reasonably well but this will need to be followed up, in particular
their
medical condition will need close attention, and of course the
development of
the legal procedure itself will need close attention,'' he told
reporters
after almost five hours inside a Belgrade jail.
The four men were shown on television at the end of last month and
accused by
the government of being Western spies, posing as ``weekend warriors.''
08:58 08-15-00
---
LA GRAN BRETAGNA MOBILITATA PER LA SORTE DEI SUOI TERRORISTI
http://www.centraleurope.com/yugoslaviatoday/news.php3?id=190330
Yugoslavia Ignores UK Calls over Detained Police
LONDON, Aug 18, 2000 -- (Reuters) Yugoslavia on Friday ignored British
calls to either charge
or release two nationals arrested as suspected terrorists, saying the
matter was serious and the
courts would deal with them in their own time.
Yugoslavia's chief diplomatic representative in London, Rade Drobac,
said he expected a military
court investigating the case of the two Britons - arrested in Montenegro
on August 1 - to dismiss
claims that President Slobodan Milosevic's government was using the men
as political
scapegoats...
---
ANCHE UNA COPPIA DI SLOVENI ARRESTATA PER SPIONAGGIO
Slovenian couple charged by Yugo military court
PODGORICA, Yugoslavia, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The Yugoslav army has arrested
a
Slovenian couple in Montenegro, the latest in a list of foreigners
detained
in the past month as Belgrade steps up pressure on pro-Western republic
ahead
of September 24 polls.
Pro-government daily Vijesti said on Tuesday Milos Glisovic and his wife
Natasa Zorz were arrested on August 2, accused of ``illegal entry into
military facilities and making drafts of military buildings and combat
materiel.'' The maximum penalty would be three years in prison, Vijesti
said....
---
ANCHE IL GOVERNO CANADESE CHIEDE ATTIVAMENTE IL RILASCIO
DEI SUOI TERRORISTI CATTURATI IN JUGOSLAVIA
http://www.nationalpost.com/commentary/story.html?f=/stories/20000812/369107.html
NATIONAL POST, Monday, August 12, 2000
Canadians aren't above suspicion
Isabel Vincent
National Post
Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana noted that "Those who do
not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Although his famous
words are usually mentioned in relation to world wars and the Holocaust,
last week I found myself using the phrase to describe knee-jerk
reactions of Canadian politicians, and my fellow journalists to the case
of Shaun Going and Liam Hall, the two Canadians currently being held in
Belgrade along with the two other British men on suspicion of terrorist
activities.
When Canadians are detained abroad on terrorism charges, they tend to be
given the benefit of the doubt simply because they are Canadian...
-
http://www.canoe.com/Columnists/worthington.html
THE TORONTO SUN, Sunday, August 13, 2000 COMMENT
Axworthy's odd diplomacy
By PETER WORTHINGTON
Toronto Sun
Like him or loathe him, you've got to admit our intrepid Foreign Affairs
Minister Lloyd Axworthy has an unusual diplomatic approach.
He justifies establishing diplomatic relations with North Korea, against
whom Canada fought a war 50 years ago (and is still at war, technically,
since no peace agreement has been signed, only a ceasefire), on grounds
that recognition might make it easier for that strange, xenophobic
regime to behave decently.
And Axworthy apparently thinks the most effective way to get two
Canadians released by the Yugoslav military holding them for suspected
terrorism, is to call President Slobodan Milosevic "a thug."...
-
http://www.canoe.com/TorontoSun/editorial.html
THE TORONTO SUN, Sunday, August 13, 2000 EDITORIAL
Lloyd exits, stage left
Hard on the heels of the good news of Corrections Canada commissioner
Ole Ingstrup's resignation last week (effective next month) came the
even better news that fellow liberal-leftie Lloyd Axworthy, our Foreign
Affairs minister, is also planning to step down.
Axworthy, who was once touted for a Nobel Peace Prize for his fight to
ban land mines around the world, has reportedly told Prime Minister Jean
Chretien he plans to accept a job with a new international affairs
centre at a B.C. university. However, he will not make any formal
announcement without the PM's okay.
Perhaps this explains Axworthy's recent behaviour. Maybe his mind was on
his new job prospects. How else to explain his bizarre handling of the
case of two Canadians arrested in Kosovo by the Yugoslav military?
With a straight face, while calling Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic a "thug" (no argument there), Axworthy actually appealed to
Canadian Serbs to put pressure on Milosevic to release the two Alberta
men...
-
http://www.globeandmail.com/gam/International/20000811/UDIPSN.html
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, Friday, August 11, 2000
Serbs tell Axworthy to get lost
Community leaders denounce minister's call for help in freeing Canadians
JEFF SALLOT
Parliamentary Bureau
Ottawa -- Serbian community leaders in Canada say Ottawa has a lot of
nerve asking for their support to help free two Albertans held by
Yugoslav authorities, after Canadian warplanes bombed their homeland
during the Kosovo crisis last year.
"Nobody listens to us in Canada when we wanted the bombing stopped. Why
does [Foreign Affairs Minister] Lloyd Axworthy think we can have
influence in Belgrade now?" said Stojanka Petkovic, a settlement
counsellor at the Serbian Heritage Academy in Toronto.
"We are very sorry about the arrests, but Axworthy is just being very
arrogant and absurd" to expect help from Canadians of Serb background,
said Zana Vitrovich, president of the Association of Serbian Women of
Canada...
-
SERBIAN NATIONAL SHIELD SOCIETY OF CANADA
VOICE OF CANADIAN SERBS
1900 Sheppard Ave. East, Box 303, Willowdale, Ontario M2J 4T4
Tel: 416-496-7881 Fax: 416-493-0335
August 11, 2000
OPEN LETTER TO LLOYD AXWORTHY,
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Mr Minister:
Your televised request to Canadians of Serbian heritage to assist Shaun
Going and Liam Hall, the two Canadians arrested in Montenegro trying to
enter the territory of Yugoslavia without visas and carrying explosive
equipment, is the first time in ten years that you have openly
addressed and
acknowledged the Canadian Serbian
community.
As citizens of this country, Canadian Serbs support your concern that
these
arrested Canadians have access to Canadian embassy officials and their
families and that they be given a fair trial with independent defense.
We
also appeal to the Yugoslav Ambassador in Ottawa to ensure the fair
treatment of these Canadians in compliance
with international law and the Canadian government's request.
That, we believe, is the democratic, legal and humanitarian approach
which
facilitates a resolution to any international crisis. Sabre rattling
and
name calling do not resolve such tensions.
Humanitarianism is a universal principle; it is not selective. As an
influential politician who has promoted the "humanitarian agenda"
around the
world, Canadian Serbs also appeal to you, Mr. Axworthy, to apply the
"humanitarianism" which you promote to the tragic situation of the
Serbian
people who have been robbed of their
health, their jobs and their future by the relentless and unjust
sanctions
imposed on them ten years ago by the international community.
If the aim of those sanctions was to remove Mr. Milosevic from office,
that
tactic has failed. Sanctions have only penalized the most vulnerable of
Serbian society - the elderly, children, the ill and almost one million
forgotten Serbian refugees permanently ethnically cleansed from Bosnia,
Croatia and Kosovo, and now living in
war-torn Serbia.
The "humanitarian agenda" which you expound would be served if you
would
take the initiative to remove those devastating sanctions from the
Serbian
people.
International law does not give democracies the right to decimate an
entire
people within the boundaries of their sovereign country using
sanctions,
bombing and invasion. Regardless of international law, NATO justified
its
78-day bombing campaign using the "humanitarian' argument. The Toronto
Star
(Aug. 2) referred to that assault as "NATO's war to force Serbs out of
Kosovo". Many people would understand that as an ethnic cleansing
campaign.
Since NATO's "humanitanan" bombing and the arrival of its ground forces
in
Kosovo, the Kosovo Serbs, Roma and other non-Albanian minorities have
been
forced out of Kosovo; ancient Serbian monasteries have been bombed;
Albanian
KLA sponsored drug trafficking, rampant crime and corruption are on the
rise; Serbia's
infrastructure has been destroyed; its soil and food chain have been
poisoned by depleted uranium bombs; it receives no reconstruction aid;
and
Mr. Milosevic has consolidated his political power. That is the
"humanitarianism" NATO brought to the war- ravaged Serbian people.
Most politicians like to win political points using events to improve
their
own ratings. There is wide speculation that Mr. Milosevic may be using
the
case of the arrested Canadians to tighten his grip before the
September24
elections.
We support the press release issued yesterday by the Canadian Serb
Congress
of which our organization is a member.
As Canadians we appeal for the fair treatment of our fellow Canadians
within
the law.
At the same time, as Canadians of Serbian heritage we ask for the
following
four things: for the lifting of the sanctions imposed on the Serbian
people;
for the reconstruction of Serbia devastated by NATO; for aid to almost
one
million permanent refugees inside Serbia; and for an end to ten years
of
demonization, mistreatment and
misrepresentation of Serbs everywhere. That is the humanitarian agenda,
Mr.
Minister, you are in a position to demonstrate that the Serbian people
are
also deserving of compassion and humanitarian assistance.
Yours truly,
Bora Dragasevich,
President
Serbian National Shield Society of Canada
cc: Dr. P. Todorovic, Yugoslav Ambassador to Canada
Canadian Media
NOTE:
Isti tekst Draga je protcitala inoc na radio Sumadiji i na kraju je
dodala:
We are still waiting for your call,
Mr. Minister( ili slicno..)
Kao i uvek, Draga je zvucala perfektno! Nadam se da je neko od njihovih
spijuna to snimio!
-
The Ottawa Serbian Heritage Society
3662 Albion Rd. South, Gloucester, Ontario, K1T 1A3,
serbian.heritage@...
OPEN LETTER TO LLOYD AXWORTHY,
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Dear Sir,
It is gratifying that you , minister Axworthy, have finally deemed it
fit
to offer to
meet the representatives of Serbian Community in Canada over the arrest
of
the two Canadians ,whereas you had refused to meet us in the connection
with
the murder of hundreds of Serb civilians in which our government was a
willing participant.
As citizens of this country, Canadian Serbs support your concern that
these arrested Canadians have access to Canadian embassy officials and
their
families and that their be given a fair trail with independent defence.
We
also appeal to the Yugoslav Ambassador to Ottawa to ensure the fair
treatment of these Canadians in compliance with international law.
It is to be hoped that the rule of law be respected by the Yugoslav
Government and that two Canadians, if proven innocent, will be released
soon. Our harts and prayers are with the accused and their families.
We can not be expected to pass a judgement on this particular case
without a full disclosure of all relevant facts. Had the Canadian
authorities arrested two Serb citizens who had entered the country
illegally
on a remote road in the middle of the night and had they found explosive
fuses in the trunk of their car, they would have had every right to
instigate criminal investigation and judicial proceedings. Mr.Going
maintains very close relation with the leaders of the terrorist
"liberation
army" which has carried out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against all
non
Albanians in Kosovo under NATO occupation. That association by itself
with
some of the most unsavoury thugs in the Balkans is sufficient to arouse
our
profound suspicion about his motives and real objectives.
As Canadians we appeal for the fair treatment of our fellow
Canadians
within the law.
We support the press release issued yesterday by the Canadian Serb
Congress of which our organisation is a member.
It is, disbelieving, however, to hear you demanding from the
Yugoslav
Government to respect the law, when you and our Canadian Government did
not
respect neither Canadian , nor international Law when Canadian pilots
bombed Yugoslavia in 1999.
At the same time, as Canadians of Serbian heritage we ask for
the
lifting of sanctions imposed on the Serbian people; for the
reconstruction
of Serbia; and for an end of 10 years of demonization, mistreatment and
misrepresentation of Serbs everywhere.
Respectfully ,
Slobodanka Borojevic, president
The Ottawa Serbian Heritage Society
---
DUE PARLAMENTARI INGLESI SVELANO I LEGAMI TRA GLI ARRESTATI E L'UCK
http://www.the-times.co.uk (World)
The Times (London)
August 9 2000 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Kosovo business link to 'racketeers'
>From Mrs Alice Mahon, MP for Halifax (Labour), and Mr
Tam Dalyell, MP for Linlithgow (Labour)
Sir, We are concerned to read your report, "Serb jail
threat to arrested British police" (August 8), that
Shaun Going, one of the four people detained by the
Serb authorities last week on the border of Montenegro
and Kosovo in a car that contained explosive
materials, admitted paying £40,000 earlier this year
to Gani Thaci, brother of Kosovo Liberation Army
commander Hashim, to secure contracts in Kosovo
because "there was no way of doing business in the
area without coming into contact with former KLA
members".
The Thaci family and other former KLA members are
widely known to have a significant hold over Kosovo's
economy. At the end of Nato's war, the political wing
of the KLA under Hashim Thaci seized control of most
municipal authorities and took over state-controlled
enterprises.
As Members of Parliament who have visited Kosovo, we
are aware of the prevalent view - including amongst
international personnel there - that the Thaci family
and other former KLA members are behind much of the
racketeering that goes on in the province today.
The fact that the two British citizens, Adrian
Prangnell and John Yore, have been detained in the
company of someone who is linked with KLA terrorists
and has taken part in dubious activities in Kosovo,
places them in a precarious and compromising position.
We think our Government owes Parliament - and the
British public - an explanation of why British
personnel have become involved with such people.
Yours sincerely,
ALICE MAHON,
TAM DALYELL,
House of Commons.
August 8.
-
Globe And Mail (Toronto)
Two British MPs blame Albertan for arrests
Brother of construction company owner denies
man has links to Kosovo liberation movement
ALAN FREEMAN
European Bureau
Friday, August 11, 2000
London -- Two maverick Labour MPs have accused the
Alberta contractor under arrest in Yugoslavia of
compromising the fate of two British police officers
detained with him, because of the Canadian's alleged
links with a onetime leading member of the Kosovo
Liberation Army.
"I think [Shaun] Going has put them all in a
compromising position," MP Alice Mahon said in an
interview yesterday. Mr. Going and his nephew Liam
Hall, 19, were travelling with two Britons when the
four were arrested Aug. 1 in the Yugoslav republic of
Montenegro, near its border with Kosovo.
Citing an April British Broadcasting Corp. report on
corruption in Kosovo, Ms. Mahon noted that Mr. Going,
who runs a construction firm in the Kosovo capital of
Pristina, had acknowledged paying $60,000 (U.S.) to
Gani Thaci, the brother of Hashim Thaci, the former
KLA commander. Mr. Going told the BBC the money was
for "intermediary services," saying it was difficult
to do business in Kosovo, which is now under United
Nations authority, without dealing with former members
of the KLA.
"There's no doubt the former KLA people are well
positioned in business so there is no way of doing
business in this country without them or coming across
them on a day-to-day basis," Mr. Going told the BBC.
In a letter to The Times of London, Ms. Mahon and
fellow MP Tam Dalyell said it was widely known that
members of the Thaci family were "behind much of the
racketeering that goes on in the province today."
"The fact that the two British citizens, Adrian
Prangnell and John Yore, have been detained in the
company of someone who is linked with KLA terrorists
and has taken part in dubious activities in Kosovo,
places them in a precarious and compromising
position," the MPs wrote.
In Calgary yesterday, Mr. Going's brother, Michael,
said the two MPs are not well informed about his
brother's work in Eastern Europe.
"Shaun has no ties to the Kosovo liberation movement
or any other political movement. He's very
apolitical," Mr. Going said. "He's a businessman doing
business in the region. He does business with a lot of
different groups and companies and governments for
that matter."
The British government reacted angrily to the MPs'
comments and their suggestion that Britain cease
acting jointly with Canada in seeking the release of
all four men.
Keith Vaz, the junior foreign minister who has been
handling the case, said that "unhelpful and
irresponsible speculation about the detainees puts
them at risk, makes our task more difficult and plays
into the hands of those who seek to politicize this
issue."
Both MPs are considered political mavericks and broke
with their government last year to oppose the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization's bombing campaign
against Yugoslavia.
In an interview, Mr. Dalyell laid the blame on Shaun
Going for the arrest of the four men on a remote road
near the border of Kosovo, where the men were
returning after a weekend in Montenegro. "It was his
car and his explosives," he said, referring to the
materials found in the car that have been described by
Canadian officials and Mr. Going's lawyer as blasting
caps and fuses used in construction work.
Ms. Mahon believes it was "at best naive and at worse
rather reckless" for the men to travel without visas
and to be carrying such materials in a tense border
region.
"If you found someone in Canada in that sort of
situation just after a war, I think you would detain
them and ask some sort of questions," she said.
Friends of Mr. Going have described him as an
apolitical yet "pragmatic" businessman who had been in
the Balkans for almost a decade and knew that doing
business was virtually impossible without greasing
some palms.
In Ottawa, officials yesterday said Mr. Going is a
legitimate Canadian businessman. "We are not aware of
any illegal activity by Mr. Going," Foreign Affairs
spokeswoman Marie-Christine Lilkoff said.
-
NATIONAL POST: CANADIAN ARRESTED IN YUGOSLAVIA WORKED WITH THACI
MONTREAL, August 8 (Tanjug) The Canadian daily National Post
said
in a report on Monday that one of the two Canadians arrested by the
Yugoslav Army recently in northeastern Montenegro had closely
collaborated
with the terrorist organization, the Kosovo Liberation Army, and its
leader
Hashim Thaci.
Arrested Canadian citizen Chaun Going, a building contractor,
lived in Albania for 10 years, and last year gave 60,000 Canadian
dollars
(40,000 U.S. dlrs) to Thaci's elder brother, said National Post.
Going, 40, paid the sum to Gani Thaci in order to get
permission
for construction in Kosovo and Metohija, where he had moved after the
end
of the NATO air strikes on Yugoslavia (June 10, 1999), National Post
said.
Early this year, the international civilian mission UNMIK
police
in Kosovo and Metohija carried out a raid of Gani Thaci's apartment and
seized 168,000 U.S. dollars. Thaci told investigators he had got the
money
from the Meridian Resources company, which is owned by Chaun Going.
The daily quoted Going as saying that he had been compelled to
do
such services in order to do business in Kosovo and Metohija.
Going and his nephew Liam Hall, 19, and two British citizens
were
arrested in the night between Aug 12, 2000, in Yugoslav territory, in
northeastern Montenegro. The four had been armed with military
equipment,
wrecking instruments, and other things.
---
FOREIGNERS ARRESTED IN MONTENEGRO TRANSFERRED TO BELGRADE
BELGRADE, August 8 (Tanjug) The four foreigners, detained in
the Andrijevica region, territory of Montenegro, Yugoslavia,
were transferred from Podgorica to Belgrade on Tuesday, a Yugoslav
Army spokesman told Tanjug.
Colonel Svetozar Radisic explained that further
proceedings against the detainees would be taken at the Military Court
in Belgrade.
In the night between Aug 12, 2000, within their activities on
securing the state border, Yugoslav Army units arrested Britons Adrian
Michael Prangnell and John Connon Bradley, and Canadians Chaun Gerald
Going
and Liam Patrick Hall.
-
http://www.the-times.co.uk (World)
The Times (London)
August 8 2000 EUROPE
Serb jail threat to arrested British police
BY ALEX TODOROVIC IN PODGORICA AND RICHARD BEESTON,
DIPLOMATIC EDITOR
TWO British policemen and two Canadians being held by
the Yugoslav military are facing a long spell in Serb
custody after compromising evidence emerged linking
one of the four to Kosovo guerrillas.
One of the Canadians, a construction company owner
whose car was found to contain explosive equipment,
hasadmitted giving money to the brother of a Kosovo
Liberation Army leader to secure post-war building
contracts.
A military prosecutor in the Montenegrin capital,
Podgorica, must decide today whether to launch a
formal investigation or release the men, who were
detained returning to Kosovo after a trip to
Montenegro last week.
The men's best hope is a 60-day jail sentence for
entering Yugoslavia without visas. At worst they could
be tried and convicted of "terrorist actions",
punishable by a life sentence. In any event, the
prosecutor is likely to open a criminal investigation
that could take six months to complete. And the
situation could be further complicated by next month's
Serbian elections as President Milosevic could use the
arrests to whip up nationalist support.
The policemen John Yore, 31, and Adrian Prangnell, 41,
had been helping to train Kosovan police cadets when
they took a weekend off to visit Montenegro with Shaun
Going, 45, and his nephew Liam Hall, 19. As they
returned to Kosovo they were stopped twice for routine
inspections by the Montenegrin police and then again
at a Yugoslav Army checkpoint.
"When they were stopped by Yugoslav border guards, one
of the men expressed frustration at having to stop so
many times," their lawyer, Vojislav Zecevic, said.
"One of the Yugoslavs understood English and then
searched the car."
The guards found the men did not have visas to enter
Yugoslavia - as most Westerners do not - and a search
of Mr Going's car revealed explosive materials used in
mining. The Serbs say the material, believed to be
detonators, could have been used in sabotage.
Mr Going admitted earlier this year that, in an
attempt to win contracts, he had paid £40,000 to Gani
Thaci, whose younger brother Hashim is a Kosovo
Liberation Army commander. Mr Going said that there
was no way of doing business in the area without
coming into contact with former KLA members.
Britain was last night intensifying diplomatic efforts
in London and Belgrade to win the release of the
detainees and trying to make a distinction between the
Canadians and the Britons.
Keith Vaz, the Foreign Office Minister, said that he
would be calling in Raida Drobac, the head of the
Yugoslav interests section in London, to protest about
the detentions. A similar message will be delivered in
Belgrade by Igor Khalavinsky, the UN representative,
and the Brazilian Ambassador, whose embassy represents
British interests.
"We have two policemen working for civil humanitarian
causes in Kosovo who went to Montenegro for a holiday
break. The next thing they know about this is they are
on Serbian television being branded as terrorists," Mr
Vaz said. "This is new depths of Serbian paranoia."
However, Mr Drobac said that the Serb authorities were
acting within their rights, just as much as British
police would respond if "terrrorist suspects" were
detained in Sussex.
"These men were detained without visas on Yugoslav
territory in possession of compromising material," he
said. "It is only natural for the authorities to
investigate."
In the meantime the men are likely to remain at a
military base outside Podgorica, where, their lawyer
said yesterday, they were being well-treated. "They
are in good health and are satisfied given the
situation." They were not confined in a jail cell and
wear their own clothes.
Mr Zecevic said military authorities have little
evidence against the four men, but there is enough to
launch an investigation. He is optimistic that it will
not last long or lead to formal charges.
The men had told him that they had wanted to take a
different road back to Kosovo after their weekend
break at the resort town of Sveti Stefan. They drove
through the Lim River valley, a notoriously
pro-Milosevic region, then took a small village road
at Murino, up the Mount Cakor pass.
---
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http://www.egroups.com/message/crj-mailinglist/383
OLANDESI, CANADESI E BRITANNICI ARRESTATI IN JUGOSLAVIA.
L'ACCUSA E' TERRORISMO
---
<< Dutch daily NRC-Handelsblad ["NRC-Business Paper"] of Tuesday 1
August on one of the
arrested, Godfried de Rie:
"According to the Group for Anti-Fascist Research, KAFKA,
his name, with the same initials and
place of residence, is on the list of members for
1995 of the extreme Rightist [political party] CP'86. The
[Dutch] Ministry
of Defence confirms that De Rie was a conscript Army lance
corporal, of
1989/8."
The CP'86 ["Center" Party, founded in 1986] political party
was notorious for racism, violence, and
open propaganda for Nazis like Adolf Hitler and Rudolf
Hess. In the 1990s, they sent Dutch
mercenaries to Yugoslavia, to fight in extreme Right
Croat units in Croatia and Bosnia... >>
---
L'OLANDA E' MOLTO PREOCCUPATA PER LA SORTE DEI SUOI NEONAZISTI
CATTURATI IN JUGOSLAVIA
Dutch Mull Options Over Detainees In Yugoslavia
AMSTERDAM, Aug 20, 2000 -- (Reuters) The Netherlands is considering
responses if
Yugoslavia prevents four Dutch detainees held in Belgrade from receiving
a fair trial, including
cutting off diplomatic relations, local radio reported on Saturday.
Several Dutch radio stations cited a confidential report from the Dutch
Foreign Ministry saying
that cutting diplomatic ties was one way to pressure Belgrade, which has
accused the four men of
spying for the West.
The ministry declined to elaborate on the content of the report. "The
list with ideas exists but I
don't want to say anything about the content," a spokeswoman said.
"We've had some thorough
brainstorming sessions about possible steps but this is a list of
options that serve as a basis for
further talks."
Border guards captured the four men -Godfried de Rie, Bas van Schaik,
Sander Zeitsen and
Jeroen van Iersel - last month. Expected to be tried on terrorism
charges, they have already
served a 30-day sentence for entering Yugoslavia without proper visas.
The Netherlands Foreign Ministry could expel Yugoslav diplomats from the
Netherlands and
withdraw its diplomats from Yugoslavia. It could also send a diplomatic
mission to Yugoslavia or
call for European Union support.
One of the four men was seen in a video shown in Yugoslavia saying the
four had planned to
kidnap President Slobodan Milosevic and take him to The Hague if they
met him or decapitate him
and send his head to the UN Tribunal there.
Western officials have said the four men appeared to be adventurers who
fell into the hands of
Serbian police.
-
Dutch held in Belgrade have had ``difficult time''
BELGRADE, Aug 15 (Reuters) - A Dutch diplomat on Tuesday visited four
Dutchmen held in Yugoslavia for the first time since their arrest last
month
and said they had been through a ``difficult time.''
Kees Klompenhouwer, charge d'affaires of the Dutch embassy in Belgrade,
said
the men were very pleased to have been visited by someone from their own
country.
``They have been going through a difficult time. Their present situation
is
reasonably well but this will need to be followed up, in particular
their
medical condition will need close attention, and of course the
development of
the legal procedure itself will need close attention,'' he told
reporters
after almost five hours inside a Belgrade jail.
The four men were shown on television at the end of last month and
accused by
the government of being Western spies, posing as ``weekend warriors.''
08:58 08-15-00
---
LA GRAN BRETAGNA MOBILITATA PER LA SORTE DEI SUOI TERRORISTI
http://www.centraleurope.com/yugoslaviatoday/news.php3?id=190330
Yugoslavia Ignores UK Calls over Detained Police
LONDON, Aug 18, 2000 -- (Reuters) Yugoslavia on Friday ignored British
calls to either charge
or release two nationals arrested as suspected terrorists, saying the
matter was serious and the
courts would deal with them in their own time.
Yugoslavia's chief diplomatic representative in London, Rade Drobac,
said he expected a military
court investigating the case of the two Britons - arrested in Montenegro
on August 1 - to dismiss
claims that President Slobodan Milosevic's government was using the men
as political
scapegoats...
---
ANCHE UNA COPPIA DI SLOVENI ARRESTATA PER SPIONAGGIO
Slovenian couple charged by Yugo military court
PODGORICA, Yugoslavia, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The Yugoslav army has arrested
a
Slovenian couple in Montenegro, the latest in a list of foreigners
detained
in the past month as Belgrade steps up pressure on pro-Western republic
ahead
of September 24 polls.
Pro-government daily Vijesti said on Tuesday Milos Glisovic and his wife
Natasa Zorz were arrested on August 2, accused of ``illegal entry into
military facilities and making drafts of military buildings and combat
materiel.'' The maximum penalty would be three years in prison, Vijesti
said....
---
ANCHE IL GOVERNO CANADESE CHIEDE ATTIVAMENTE IL RILASCIO
DEI SUOI TERRORISTI CATTURATI IN JUGOSLAVIA
http://www.nationalpost.com/commentary/story.html?f=/stories/20000812/369107.html
NATIONAL POST, Monday, August 12, 2000
Canadians aren't above suspicion
Isabel Vincent
National Post
Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana noted that "Those who do
not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." Although his famous
words are usually mentioned in relation to world wars and the Holocaust,
last week I found myself using the phrase to describe knee-jerk
reactions of Canadian politicians, and my fellow journalists to the case
of Shaun Going and Liam Hall, the two Canadians currently being held in
Belgrade along with the two other British men on suspicion of terrorist
activities.
When Canadians are detained abroad on terrorism charges, they tend to be
given the benefit of the doubt simply because they are Canadian...
-
http://www.canoe.com/Columnists/worthington.html
THE TORONTO SUN, Sunday, August 13, 2000 COMMENT
Axworthy's odd diplomacy
By PETER WORTHINGTON
Toronto Sun
Like him or loathe him, you've got to admit our intrepid Foreign Affairs
Minister Lloyd Axworthy has an unusual diplomatic approach.
He justifies establishing diplomatic relations with North Korea, against
whom Canada fought a war 50 years ago (and is still at war, technically,
since no peace agreement has been signed, only a ceasefire), on grounds
that recognition might make it easier for that strange, xenophobic
regime to behave decently.
And Axworthy apparently thinks the most effective way to get two
Canadians released by the Yugoslav military holding them for suspected
terrorism, is to call President Slobodan Milosevic "a thug."...
-
http://www.canoe.com/TorontoSun/editorial.html
THE TORONTO SUN, Sunday, August 13, 2000 EDITORIAL
Lloyd exits, stage left
Hard on the heels of the good news of Corrections Canada commissioner
Ole Ingstrup's resignation last week (effective next month) came the
even better news that fellow liberal-leftie Lloyd Axworthy, our Foreign
Affairs minister, is also planning to step down.
Axworthy, who was once touted for a Nobel Peace Prize for his fight to
ban land mines around the world, has reportedly told Prime Minister Jean
Chretien he plans to accept a job with a new international affairs
centre at a B.C. university. However, he will not make any formal
announcement without the PM's okay.
Perhaps this explains Axworthy's recent behaviour. Maybe his mind was on
his new job prospects. How else to explain his bizarre handling of the
case of two Canadians arrested in Kosovo by the Yugoslav military?
With a straight face, while calling Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic a "thug" (no argument there), Axworthy actually appealed to
Canadian Serbs to put pressure on Milosevic to release the two Alberta
men...
-
http://www.globeandmail.com/gam/International/20000811/UDIPSN.html
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, Friday, August 11, 2000
Serbs tell Axworthy to get lost
Community leaders denounce minister's call for help in freeing Canadians
JEFF SALLOT
Parliamentary Bureau
Ottawa -- Serbian community leaders in Canada say Ottawa has a lot of
nerve asking for their support to help free two Albertans held by
Yugoslav authorities, after Canadian warplanes bombed their homeland
during the Kosovo crisis last year.
"Nobody listens to us in Canada when we wanted the bombing stopped. Why
does [Foreign Affairs Minister] Lloyd Axworthy think we can have
influence in Belgrade now?" said Stojanka Petkovic, a settlement
counsellor at the Serbian Heritage Academy in Toronto.
"We are very sorry about the arrests, but Axworthy is just being very
arrogant and absurd" to expect help from Canadians of Serb background,
said Zana Vitrovich, president of the Association of Serbian Women of
Canada...
-
SERBIAN NATIONAL SHIELD SOCIETY OF CANADA
VOICE OF CANADIAN SERBS
1900 Sheppard Ave. East, Box 303, Willowdale, Ontario M2J 4T4
Tel: 416-496-7881 Fax: 416-493-0335
August 11, 2000
OPEN LETTER TO LLOYD AXWORTHY,
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Mr Minister:
Your televised request to Canadians of Serbian heritage to assist Shaun
Going and Liam Hall, the two Canadians arrested in Montenegro trying to
enter the territory of Yugoslavia without visas and carrying explosive
equipment, is the first time in ten years that you have openly
addressed and
acknowledged the Canadian Serbian
community.
As citizens of this country, Canadian Serbs support your concern that
these
arrested Canadians have access to Canadian embassy officials and their
families and that they be given a fair trial with independent defense.
We
also appeal to the Yugoslav Ambassador in Ottawa to ensure the fair
treatment of these Canadians in compliance
with international law and the Canadian government's request.
That, we believe, is the democratic, legal and humanitarian approach
which
facilitates a resolution to any international crisis. Sabre rattling
and
name calling do not resolve such tensions.
Humanitarianism is a universal principle; it is not selective. As an
influential politician who has promoted the "humanitarian agenda"
around the
world, Canadian Serbs also appeal to you, Mr. Axworthy, to apply the
"humanitarianism" which you promote to the tragic situation of the
Serbian
people who have been robbed of their
health, their jobs and their future by the relentless and unjust
sanctions
imposed on them ten years ago by the international community.
If the aim of those sanctions was to remove Mr. Milosevic from office,
that
tactic has failed. Sanctions have only penalized the most vulnerable of
Serbian society - the elderly, children, the ill and almost one million
forgotten Serbian refugees permanently ethnically cleansed from Bosnia,
Croatia and Kosovo, and now living in
war-torn Serbia.
The "humanitarian agenda" which you expound would be served if you
would
take the initiative to remove those devastating sanctions from the
Serbian
people.
International law does not give democracies the right to decimate an
entire
people within the boundaries of their sovereign country using
sanctions,
bombing and invasion. Regardless of international law, NATO justified
its
78-day bombing campaign using the "humanitarian' argument. The Toronto
Star
(Aug. 2) referred to that assault as "NATO's war to force Serbs out of
Kosovo". Many people would understand that as an ethnic cleansing
campaign.
Since NATO's "humanitanan" bombing and the arrival of its ground forces
in
Kosovo, the Kosovo Serbs, Roma and other non-Albanian minorities have
been
forced out of Kosovo; ancient Serbian monasteries have been bombed;
Albanian
KLA sponsored drug trafficking, rampant crime and corruption are on the
rise; Serbia's
infrastructure has been destroyed; its soil and food chain have been
poisoned by depleted uranium bombs; it receives no reconstruction aid;
and
Mr. Milosevic has consolidated his political power. That is the
"humanitarianism" NATO brought to the war- ravaged Serbian people.
Most politicians like to win political points using events to improve
their
own ratings. There is wide speculation that Mr. Milosevic may be using
the
case of the arrested Canadians to tighten his grip before the
September24
elections.
We support the press release issued yesterday by the Canadian Serb
Congress
of which our organization is a member.
As Canadians we appeal for the fair treatment of our fellow Canadians
within
the law.
At the same time, as Canadians of Serbian heritage we ask for the
following
four things: for the lifting of the sanctions imposed on the Serbian
people;
for the reconstruction of Serbia devastated by NATO; for aid to almost
one
million permanent refugees inside Serbia; and for an end to ten years
of
demonization, mistreatment and
misrepresentation of Serbs everywhere. That is the humanitarian agenda,
Mr.
Minister, you are in a position to demonstrate that the Serbian people
are
also deserving of compassion and humanitarian assistance.
Yours truly,
Bora Dragasevich,
President
Serbian National Shield Society of Canada
cc: Dr. P. Todorovic, Yugoslav Ambassador to Canada
Canadian Media
NOTE:
Isti tekst Draga je protcitala inoc na radio Sumadiji i na kraju je
dodala:
We are still waiting for your call,
Mr. Minister( ili slicno..)
Kao i uvek, Draga je zvucala perfektno! Nadam se da je neko od njihovih
spijuna to snimio!
-
The Ottawa Serbian Heritage Society
3662 Albion Rd. South, Gloucester, Ontario, K1T 1A3,
serbian.heritage@...
OPEN LETTER TO LLOYD AXWORTHY,
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Dear Sir,
It is gratifying that you , minister Axworthy, have finally deemed it
fit
to offer to
meet the representatives of Serbian Community in Canada over the arrest
of
the two Canadians ,whereas you had refused to meet us in the connection
with
the murder of hundreds of Serb civilians in which our government was a
willing participant.
As citizens of this country, Canadian Serbs support your concern that
these arrested Canadians have access to Canadian embassy officials and
their
families and that their be given a fair trail with independent defence.
We
also appeal to the Yugoslav Ambassador to Ottawa to ensure the fair
treatment of these Canadians in compliance with international law.
It is to be hoped that the rule of law be respected by the Yugoslav
Government and that two Canadians, if proven innocent, will be released
soon. Our harts and prayers are with the accused and their families.
We can not be expected to pass a judgement on this particular case
without a full disclosure of all relevant facts. Had the Canadian
authorities arrested two Serb citizens who had entered the country
illegally
on a remote road in the middle of the night and had they found explosive
fuses in the trunk of their car, they would have had every right to
instigate criminal investigation and judicial proceedings. Mr.Going
maintains very close relation with the leaders of the terrorist
"liberation
army" which has carried out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against all
non
Albanians in Kosovo under NATO occupation. That association by itself
with
some of the most unsavoury thugs in the Balkans is sufficient to arouse
our
profound suspicion about his motives and real objectives.
As Canadians we appeal for the fair treatment of our fellow
Canadians
within the law.
We support the press release issued yesterday by the Canadian Serb
Congress of which our organisation is a member.
It is, disbelieving, however, to hear you demanding from the
Yugoslav
Government to respect the law, when you and our Canadian Government did
not
respect neither Canadian , nor international Law when Canadian pilots
bombed Yugoslavia in 1999.
At the same time, as Canadians of Serbian heritage we ask for
the
lifting of sanctions imposed on the Serbian people; for the
reconstruction
of Serbia; and for an end of 10 years of demonization, mistreatment and
misrepresentation of Serbs everywhere.
Respectfully ,
Slobodanka Borojevic, president
The Ottawa Serbian Heritage Society
---
DUE PARLAMENTARI INGLESI SVELANO I LEGAMI TRA GLI ARRESTATI E L'UCK
http://www.the-times.co.uk (World)
The Times (London)
August 9 2000 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Kosovo business link to 'racketeers'
>From Mrs Alice Mahon, MP for Halifax (Labour), and Mr
Tam Dalyell, MP for Linlithgow (Labour)
Sir, We are concerned to read your report, "Serb jail
threat to arrested British police" (August 8), that
Shaun Going, one of the four people detained by the
Serb authorities last week on the border of Montenegro
and Kosovo in a car that contained explosive
materials, admitted paying £40,000 earlier this year
to Gani Thaci, brother of Kosovo Liberation Army
commander Hashim, to secure contracts in Kosovo
because "there was no way of doing business in the
area without coming into contact with former KLA
members".
The Thaci family and other former KLA members are
widely known to have a significant hold over Kosovo's
economy. At the end of Nato's war, the political wing
of the KLA under Hashim Thaci seized control of most
municipal authorities and took over state-controlled
enterprises.
As Members of Parliament who have visited Kosovo, we
are aware of the prevalent view - including amongst
international personnel there - that the Thaci family
and other former KLA members are behind much of the
racketeering that goes on in the province today.
The fact that the two British citizens, Adrian
Prangnell and John Yore, have been detained in the
company of someone who is linked with KLA terrorists
and has taken part in dubious activities in Kosovo,
places them in a precarious and compromising position.
We think our Government owes Parliament - and the
British public - an explanation of why British
personnel have become involved with such people.
Yours sincerely,
ALICE MAHON,
TAM DALYELL,
House of Commons.
August 8.
-
Globe And Mail (Toronto)
Two British MPs blame Albertan for arrests
Brother of construction company owner denies
man has links to Kosovo liberation movement
ALAN FREEMAN
European Bureau
Friday, August 11, 2000
London -- Two maverick Labour MPs have accused the
Alberta contractor under arrest in Yugoslavia of
compromising the fate of two British police officers
detained with him, because of the Canadian's alleged
links with a onetime leading member of the Kosovo
Liberation Army.
"I think [Shaun] Going has put them all in a
compromising position," MP Alice Mahon said in an
interview yesterday. Mr. Going and his nephew Liam
Hall, 19, were travelling with two Britons when the
four were arrested Aug. 1 in the Yugoslav republic of
Montenegro, near its border with Kosovo.
Citing an April British Broadcasting Corp. report on
corruption in Kosovo, Ms. Mahon noted that Mr. Going,
who runs a construction firm in the Kosovo capital of
Pristina, had acknowledged paying $60,000 (U.S.) to
Gani Thaci, the brother of Hashim Thaci, the former
KLA commander. Mr. Going told the BBC the money was
for "intermediary services," saying it was difficult
to do business in Kosovo, which is now under United
Nations authority, without dealing with former members
of the KLA.
"There's no doubt the former KLA people are well
positioned in business so there is no way of doing
business in this country without them or coming across
them on a day-to-day basis," Mr. Going told the BBC.
In a letter to The Times of London, Ms. Mahon and
fellow MP Tam Dalyell said it was widely known that
members of the Thaci family were "behind much of the
racketeering that goes on in the province today."
"The fact that the two British citizens, Adrian
Prangnell and John Yore, have been detained in the
company of someone who is linked with KLA terrorists
and has taken part in dubious activities in Kosovo,
places them in a precarious and compromising
position," the MPs wrote.
In Calgary yesterday, Mr. Going's brother, Michael,
said the two MPs are not well informed about his
brother's work in Eastern Europe.
"Shaun has no ties to the Kosovo liberation movement
or any other political movement. He's very
apolitical," Mr. Going said. "He's a businessman doing
business in the region. He does business with a lot of
different groups and companies and governments for
that matter."
The British government reacted angrily to the MPs'
comments and their suggestion that Britain cease
acting jointly with Canada in seeking the release of
all four men.
Keith Vaz, the junior foreign minister who has been
handling the case, said that "unhelpful and
irresponsible speculation about the detainees puts
them at risk, makes our task more difficult and plays
into the hands of those who seek to politicize this
issue."
Both MPs are considered political mavericks and broke
with their government last year to oppose the North
Atlantic Treaty Organization's bombing campaign
against Yugoslavia.
In an interview, Mr. Dalyell laid the blame on Shaun
Going for the arrest of the four men on a remote road
near the border of Kosovo, where the men were
returning after a weekend in Montenegro. "It was his
car and his explosives," he said, referring to the
materials found in the car that have been described by
Canadian officials and Mr. Going's lawyer as blasting
caps and fuses used in construction work.
Ms. Mahon believes it was "at best naive and at worse
rather reckless" for the men to travel without visas
and to be carrying such materials in a tense border
region.
"If you found someone in Canada in that sort of
situation just after a war, I think you would detain
them and ask some sort of questions," she said.
Friends of Mr. Going have described him as an
apolitical yet "pragmatic" businessman who had been in
the Balkans for almost a decade and knew that doing
business was virtually impossible without greasing
some palms.
In Ottawa, officials yesterday said Mr. Going is a
legitimate Canadian businessman. "We are not aware of
any illegal activity by Mr. Going," Foreign Affairs
spokeswoman Marie-Christine Lilkoff said.
-
NATIONAL POST: CANADIAN ARRESTED IN YUGOSLAVIA WORKED WITH THACI
MONTREAL, August 8 (Tanjug) The Canadian daily National Post
said
in a report on Monday that one of the two Canadians arrested by the
Yugoslav Army recently in northeastern Montenegro had closely
collaborated
with the terrorist organization, the Kosovo Liberation Army, and its
leader
Hashim Thaci.
Arrested Canadian citizen Chaun Going, a building contractor,
lived in Albania for 10 years, and last year gave 60,000 Canadian
dollars
(40,000 U.S. dlrs) to Thaci's elder brother, said National Post.
Going, 40, paid the sum to Gani Thaci in order to get
permission
for construction in Kosovo and Metohija, where he had moved after the
end
of the NATO air strikes on Yugoslavia (June 10, 1999), National Post
said.
Early this year, the international civilian mission UNMIK
police
in Kosovo and Metohija carried out a raid of Gani Thaci's apartment and
seized 168,000 U.S. dollars. Thaci told investigators he had got the
money
from the Meridian Resources company, which is owned by Chaun Going.
The daily quoted Going as saying that he had been compelled to
do
such services in order to do business in Kosovo and Metohija.
Going and his nephew Liam Hall, 19, and two British citizens
were
arrested in the night between Aug 12, 2000, in Yugoslav territory, in
northeastern Montenegro. The four had been armed with military
equipment,
wrecking instruments, and other things.
---
FOREIGNERS ARRESTED IN MONTENEGRO TRANSFERRED TO BELGRADE
BELGRADE, August 8 (Tanjug) The four foreigners, detained in
the Andrijevica region, territory of Montenegro, Yugoslavia,
were transferred from Podgorica to Belgrade on Tuesday, a Yugoslav
Army spokesman told Tanjug.
Colonel Svetozar Radisic explained that further
proceedings against the detainees would be taken at the Military Court
in Belgrade.
In the night between Aug 12, 2000, within their activities on
securing the state border, Yugoslav Army units arrested Britons Adrian
Michael Prangnell and John Connon Bradley, and Canadians Chaun Gerald
Going
and Liam Patrick Hall.
-
http://www.the-times.co.uk (World)
The Times (London)
August 8 2000 EUROPE
Serb jail threat to arrested British police
BY ALEX TODOROVIC IN PODGORICA AND RICHARD BEESTON,
DIPLOMATIC EDITOR
TWO British policemen and two Canadians being held by
the Yugoslav military are facing a long spell in Serb
custody after compromising evidence emerged linking
one of the four to Kosovo guerrillas.
One of the Canadians, a construction company owner
whose car was found to contain explosive equipment,
hasadmitted giving money to the brother of a Kosovo
Liberation Army leader to secure post-war building
contracts.
A military prosecutor in the Montenegrin capital,
Podgorica, must decide today whether to launch a
formal investigation or release the men, who were
detained returning to Kosovo after a trip to
Montenegro last week.
The men's best hope is a 60-day jail sentence for
entering Yugoslavia without visas. At worst they could
be tried and convicted of "terrorist actions",
punishable by a life sentence. In any event, the
prosecutor is likely to open a criminal investigation
that could take six months to complete. And the
situation could be further complicated by next month's
Serbian elections as President Milosevic could use the
arrests to whip up nationalist support.
The policemen John Yore, 31, and Adrian Prangnell, 41,
had been helping to train Kosovan police cadets when
they took a weekend off to visit Montenegro with Shaun
Going, 45, and his nephew Liam Hall, 19. As they
returned to Kosovo they were stopped twice for routine
inspections by the Montenegrin police and then again
at a Yugoslav Army checkpoint.
"When they were stopped by Yugoslav border guards, one
of the men expressed frustration at having to stop so
many times," their lawyer, Vojislav Zecevic, said.
"One of the Yugoslavs understood English and then
searched the car."
The guards found the men did not have visas to enter
Yugoslavia - as most Westerners do not - and a search
of Mr Going's car revealed explosive materials used in
mining. The Serbs say the material, believed to be
detonators, could have been used in sabotage.
Mr Going admitted earlier this year that, in an
attempt to win contracts, he had paid £40,000 to Gani
Thaci, whose younger brother Hashim is a Kosovo
Liberation Army commander. Mr Going said that there
was no way of doing business in the area without
coming into contact with former KLA members.
Britain was last night intensifying diplomatic efforts
in London and Belgrade to win the release of the
detainees and trying to make a distinction between the
Canadians and the Britons.
Keith Vaz, the Foreign Office Minister, said that he
would be calling in Raida Drobac, the head of the
Yugoslav interests section in London, to protest about
the detentions. A similar message will be delivered in
Belgrade by Igor Khalavinsky, the UN representative,
and the Brazilian Ambassador, whose embassy represents
British interests.
"We have two policemen working for civil humanitarian
causes in Kosovo who went to Montenegro for a holiday
break. The next thing they know about this is they are
on Serbian television being branded as terrorists," Mr
Vaz said. "This is new depths of Serbian paranoia."
However, Mr Drobac said that the Serb authorities were
acting within their rights, just as much as British
police would respond if "terrrorist suspects" were
detained in Sussex.
"These men were detained without visas on Yugoslav
territory in possession of compromising material," he
said. "It is only natural for the authorities to
investigate."
In the meantime the men are likely to remain at a
military base outside Podgorica, where, their lawyer
said yesterday, they were being well-treated. "They
are in good health and are satisfied given the
situation." They were not confined in a jail cell and
wear their own clothes.
Mr Zecevic said military authorities have little
evidence against the four men, but there is enough to
launch an investigation. He is optimistic that it will
not last long or lead to formal charges.
The men had told him that they had wanted to take a
different road back to Kosovo after their weekend
break at the resort town of Sveti Stefan. They drove
through the Lim River valley, a notoriously
pro-Milosevic region, then took a small village road
at Murino, up the Mount Cakor pass.
---
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